ESOL Skills for Life

Level 2 — Reading
Sample paper 1

Time allowed: 60 minutes

» Please answer all questions.

» Circle your answers in pen, not pencil, on the separate answer sheet.
» You may not use dictionaries.
» You may not use correction fluid.

L2R-S1
 Level 2 — Reading

Task 1
Questions 1–6 test your ability to read a text quickly for the general idea, and to scan it for key words
and phrases. You are advised to read the questions before you read the text.

Questions 1–4
The text on page 3 has six paragraphs. Each paragraph has a purpose. Choose the letter of the
paragraph that best matches the purposes below. Circle the letter on your answer sheet.
You do not need to use all of the paragraphs.

Example: to introduce the theme of the text A

1. to highlight the most attractive feature of staying in the boat
2. to present differing views about the boat project
3. to explain the main purpose of the boat
4. to explain what the restrictions for staying in the boat are

Questions 5–6
Choose the letter of the best answer and circle it on your answer sheet.

5. Which sentence is correct?

A The ‘Room for London’ is actually an old riverboat.
B There were five hundred different ideas for the ‘Room for London’.
C The architects took their ideas from the description of a boat.
6. The boat has been of cultural value because
A every guest that has stayed there has published a book
B musicians from all over the world have held public concerts in the room
C the thoughts of famous writers have been put together to make a book

page 2 Answer all questions.

 Level 2 — Reading

A Boat on a Building
Paragraph A
Stand on the north bank of the River Thames in central London and look up. You may be
surprised to see a boat perched right at the top of the concert hall on the other side of the river.
It might look as if the boat has been washed up there in a flood — but you will soon
realise the impossibility of that and wonder what it is doing there.

Paragraph B
In fact, it is a very unusual, single-room hotel in the shape of a boat, called ‘A Room for London’
after a competition it won. Its design was one of five hundred submitted for the competition, the
point of which was to create a room on one of London’s landmarks. The designers were inspired
by a novel based on a river voyage.

Paragraph C
Only the lucky few are able to stay in this most unusual rented room. You must enter a ballot
and have your name picked out to stay there. A maximum of two people can stay for just one
night and they are not permitted to invite any guests.

Paragraph D
The interior is perhaps not the most appealing part of the stay. Guests may rightly expect luxury,
but although the accommodation is quite spacious, the decoration and furnishing
are fairly basic. It is the 360-degree view of London and the river, enabled by the number
of windows, that holds the attention.

Paragraph E
Although many have seen this as an amusing addition to the London landscape, not everyone
approves of the project. Some people have been puzzled by it, claiming that most people will
not even notice it. Others have seen it as a waste of money, which could have been spent on
projects of social value.

Paragraph F
However, one benefit has been the inspiration drawn from the boat’s unique location. Every guest
who stays there is asked to write in a journal. Reflective essays by thirteen leading novelists
on the experience of staying there have been published in a book. International musicians have
played in the main living area, and their performances can be watched on the web. What was
planned as a temporary structure is still very much alive.

Turn over page

page 3
 Level 2 — Reading

Task 2
Questions 7–10
Five sentences are missing from the text on page 5. Look at the following sentences and decide
which one best fits each gap. Circle the letter of your answer on your answer sheet. There is an
example (A). There is one sentence you do not need.

A (Example) What are the criteria for getting a school place for your child?
B Out of the five criteria for awarding a school place, the distance that you live from a school
is given the lowest priority.
C Local action groups have been set up to campaign for fairer systems.
D Some schools have additional criteria.
E In the past, living near your local primary school was all that was needed to be sure of a place.
F Another top criterion is the ‘sibling rule’.

Questions 11–13
Choose the letter of the best answer and circle it on your answer sheet.
11. In paragraph one, what does the ‘1’ signify in ‘66 million1’?
A that the writer has used a mathematical formula to calculate the population
B it directs the reader to information at the end of the article
C that the writer has made an error when typing up the report
12. According to paragraph four, the primary school allocation system
A now uses an electronic system and specific information
B disadvantages children with particular educational needs
C only uses a child’s home address to decide their school place
13. According to paragraph five, children in a family
A need to change schools when they move house
B can go to the same school as the oldest child
C have to go to their nearest primary school

Questions 14–16
Choose the letter of the answer that best matches the meaning of each word as it is used in
the text. Circle the letter on your answer sheet.
14. conditions (paragraph two)
A places
B tensions
C requirements
15. considerable (paragraph three)
A likely
B small
C great
16. regulate (paragraph seven)
A prevent
B control
C extend

page 4 Answer all questions.

 Level 2 — Reading

A Right to a Local Education

Paragraph one
As the population of the United Kingdom continues to grow — 66 million1 at the last count — so
too does the demand for schools, hospitals and housing. This has an impact on the government,
local authorities and schools, which have to develop fair processes for distributing school places,
and means that families have to understand how to apply for school places for their children.

Paragraph two
A (Example) . Most local authorities follow a prescribed list of ranked criteria
but there may be extra conditions if you wish your child to go to a faith school or specialist
academy. The process can be complicated for parents to understand.

Paragraph three
7. . Applications were made directly to the headteacher. However,
nowadays, parents may find that their child is offered a place a considerable distance away from
home. So why does this happen?

Paragraph four
Applying for a school place is now centralised — either within a city or county — and is usually
done online. Once all the applications are received, the local education authority uses a set list
of criteria to distribute primary school places. The first priority for awarding primary school
places is to children who have Special Educational Needs, which affect their ability to learn and
need to be addressed through additional help or support.

Paragraph five
8. . This means that if an applicant has a brother or sister already
attending the school, they will automatically receive a place too. Even in cases where families
have moved to another area, their children will be given a place at the school that the oldest
child attends.

Paragraph six
9. . This can be very stressful during the application process because the
catchment area (the area that pupils come from) of a school may be very small. It is claimed that
some schools in London have a catchment area of less than 200 metres. Uncertainty about the
size of the catchment area can cause concern to parents.

Paragraph seven
10. . For instance, some faith schools require children applying for school
to attend a place of worship with their family. Other schools are aware that the sibling rule is
unfair when people have moved districts. All in all, as the population keeps growing, so too will
the debate about how authorities should regulate the allocation of primary school places.
1 Office for National Statistics: 2016

Turn over page

page 5
 Level 2 — Reading

Task 3
Texts A–E on pages 8–11 are all related to each other. You need to use all five texts to answer
the following questions.

Questions 17–19
There are five texts, A–E. Decide which text matches each of the purposes below and circle the letter
of the text on your answer sheet. One of the texts does not have a purpose listed below.

Example: to introduce a new project and explain the reasons for it A

17. to announce a new source of funding and provide contact details for interested parties
18. to announce a proposed new group activity and explain how to find out more
19. to describe a new project and apply to get funding for it

Questions 20–22
Choose the letter of the best answer and circle it on your answer sheet.
20. What can you learn from texts A, B and C?
A Newchester residents take less physical exercise than people in most other cities
B the CityFit programme is designed to give everyone an equal chance to be active
C most people in Newchester find it too expensive to take part in physical activity

21. According to texts C and D, the Exeter Road Runners project

A has a good chance of winning a small grant
B meets all the criteria for a CityFit small grant
C is unlikely to succeed in getting a small grant

22. In text C, how does Zahra argue for her project to be awarded a grant?
A she describes the Couch to 5k programme and praises the quality of Exeter Road Park
B she gives information about the baby and toddler group and explains why the childcare
workers have to be qualified
C she explains why it is difficult for the people in her group to take exercise and gives
additional information about the problem of accessing local leisure centres

page 6 Answer all questions.

 Level 2 — Reading

Questions 23–27
Text A has six paragraphs with missing headings. Choose the best paragraph for each of the following
headings and circle the letter on your answer sheet. You do not need to use all the paragraphs. There
is an example.
Example: Introducing the CityFit project A
23. Not just better health
24. A culture of sitting
25. Healthier and happier

Choose the letter of the best answer and circle it on your answer sheet.
26. Which text is only for people who attend Exeter Road Baby and Toddler Group?
A text E
B text D
C text B
27. When does the Exeter Road Baby and Toddler Group meet?
A when the organiser is available
B only on Tuesdays
C twice a week

Questions 28–30
Choose the letter of the answer that best matches the meaning of each word as it is used in the text.
Circle the letter on your answer sheet.
28. sedentary (text A)
A uninformed
B uncertain
C inactive

29. attainment (text A)

A enjoyment
B achievement
C disappointment

30. make it (text E)

A come
B decide
C understand

Turn over page

page 7
 Level 2 — Reading

Text A

INTRODUCING CITYFIT
Our plan for a happier, healthier city
A (Example)
CityFit is a brand-new project run jointly by Newchester City Council, Newchester University
and Newchester Primary Care Trust. Our aim is to make Newchester a city where everyone
can engage equally in physical activity. Evidence shows that this will make Newchester not just
healthier, but happier and wealthier too.

B
It is well-documented that physical activity can play a role in the prevention of a variety of
health conditions, and that physically active people of all ages and backgrounds report higher
levels of happiness compared to those who are more sedentary.

C
Our research has shown us that the benefits do not stop with health. A culture of physical
activity in a town can increase children’s educational attainment, help to reduce anti-social
behaviour, increase work productivity, and build self-esteem. In addition, if people engage in more
physical activity, there is likely to be a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions across the city and a
decrease in traffic congestion.

D
Unfortunately, despite all these benefits, modern life presents many barriers to people who
want to become more physically active. Our lives are so busy that we rely on sedentary forms
of transport in order to get around quickly. Furthermore, the types of leisure activity we choose
are likely to involve sitting down, rather than moving around. What this means is that physical
activity is no longer a part of how we live.

E
Recent research has uncovered multiple additional barriers to participation, from lack of time
and money to low confidence and limited opportunity. A number of social and economic factors
often result in the people who are least well off finding it hardest to be active.

F
CityFit aims to change all this by creating a culture of physical activity across all areas of
Newchester. We have developed a framework that will result in everyone in our city having
an equal opportunity to reap the health and economic benefits of increased physical activity,
regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or social background.

page 8 Answer all questions.

 Level 2 — Reading

Text B

CITYFIT
Small grants available!
As part of the Newchester-wide CityFit initiative, Newchester Council plans to make a series of small
grant awards to groups or individuals wanting to start a project that they can demonstrate will
lead to increased levels of physical activity in their local area. Priority will be given to schemes that
benefit people currently facing increased barriers to participation in physical activity, for example
parents with young children, elderly people, people living with long-term health problems, etc.
For more details and an application form, please email tomas.wojick@CityFit.org.uk

Turn over page

page 9
 Level 2 — Reading

Text C

CITYFIT SMALL GRANT SCHEME

Name of applicant
Zahra Uddin

Organisation
Exeter Road Baby and Toddler Group

Name of proposed project

Exeter Road Runners

Please describe the project you want to set up.

How will it increase physical activity in your area?
We are a group of parents and carers who meet twice a week at Exeter Road
Community Centre. Our baby and toddler group is a well-established and highly
valued resource that allows adults and children space to socialise together. Many
of our adult members have told us how difficult it is for them to take regular
exercise because of the demands of caring for small children.
We propose to set up a running group. We would use our grant to pay some
qualified childcare workers to supervise the babies and toddlers while the adults
go out running in Exeter Road Park. We plan to follow the popular Couch to 5k
programme, set up by the NHS to enable people with no experience of running
to gain the ability to run for five kilometres over nine weeks.

CityFit small grants are intended to benefit people in Newchester who face increased
barriers to participation in physical activity. Please explain why you think your group
should qualify for a grant.
People who care for young children often find it difficult to take exercise because of
the multiple demands on their time and the fact that their children cannot be left
on their own. In addition, the Exeter Road Community Centre, where our group
meets, is situated on the edge of a large housing estate with poor public transport
links, so it is not realistic to expect people to travel to one of the city’s leisure
centres. Our running group would enable members to take advantage of the
wonderful surroundings of Exeter Road Park, which is completely free of charge.

CityFit grants are aimed at funding the short-term costs of getting a group established.
Please indicate how you will ensure that your project will continue after the grant has
been spent.
In order to get started, we need a grant to pay childcare workers so that every
adult has a chance to participate in the Couch to 5K programme. After that, we
plan to set up a rota so that people take it in turns to supervise the children while
the other adults are out running.

page 10 Answer all questions.

 Level 2 — Reading

Text D

To: Amanda Simpson

From: Tomas Wojick
Subject: Exeter Road Runners
Date: 11 June, 14:02

Hmm – good point. I don’t have kids so I’m not really sure. I’ll ask Zahra Uddin to come in so
that we can talk to her about it in detail.
Best
Tomas

To: Tomas Wojick

From: Amanda Simpson
Subject: Exeter Road Runners
Date: 11 June, 11:31

Hi Tomas
Yes, it does look good. But I’m worried about the plans for keeping it going. How
realistic is it to expect people to volunteer to look after each other’s children?
Kind regards
Mandy
Amanda Simpson
CityFit Funding Supervisor

To: Amanda Simpson

From: Tomas Wojick
Subject: Exeter Road Runners
Date: 11 June, 09:47

Hi Mandy
I’m attaching the latest application. It looks good to me and I think it ticks all our
boxes. I’d be up for giving them one of the grants.
Best wishes
Tomas
Tomas Wojick
CityFit Grants Co-ordinator

Text E

EXETER ROAD RUNNERS!

Our brilliant organiser, Zahra, is hoping to set up a running group. If she’s successful, there’ll be no
more excuses — we’ll all be able to keep fit! We’ll be giving out details at the end of Tuesday’s Baby
and Toddler group. If you can’t make it then, just talk to Stefan or Zahra.

End of exam
Copyright © 2017 Trinity College London page 11
Skills for Life Level 2 Reading — Sample paper 1
Answers
1. D
2. E
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. C
7. E
8. F
9. B
10. D
11. B
12. A
13. B
14. C
15. C
16. B
17. B
18. E
19. C
20. B
21. A
22. C
23. C
24. D
25. B
26. A
27. C
28. C
29. B
30. A